In-ground lifts are well-known in the art. These lifts are usually enclosed in a containment housing, which is substantially closed on its bottom and sides and open on its top. One problem with these lifts is that it is difficult to remove a cylinder for maintenance. Usually, in order to remove the cylinder, the lift and/or the cylinder must be substantially disassembled, which requires a significant amount of down-time, manpower, and use of heavy equipment. Disassembly also permits dirt and air to enter the inside of the cylinder, which is undesirable.
The present invention provides a cylinder arrangement in which maintenance is much easier than in prior art in-ground lifts, saving significant amounts of down-time and manpower.
In a lift made in accordance with the present invention, the closed and sealed cylinder unit is installed so that it rests on the fixed frame of the lift by gravity and is trapped between the fixed frame and a removable portion of the movable frame. There are no connections or fittings between the cylinder unit and the stationary lift frame at the bottom of the stationary lift frame which must be disconnected in order to remove the cylinder unit from the lift. Thus, the cylinder unit can readily be removed from the lift as an intact unit for repair or replacement.